Device for mixing and loosening of tobacco



v June 18, 1957 R. CREUZBURG DEVICE FOR MIXING AND LOOSENING OF TOBACCOFiled Sept. 12, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: flab/ 1a??? Creazzeiy BYg g I .ltzorne ys June 18, 1957 R. CREUZBURG DEVICE FOR MIXING ANDLOOSENING OF TOBACCO 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 12, 1955 INVENTOR. rdCrezzz 5a /Ziiqrneys United States ,PatfitOfiice DEVICE FOR MIXING ANDLOOSENTNG OF TOBACCO Richard Creuzburg, Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany,assignor to Kurt Korber & C0. K. G., Hamburg-Bergedorf, GermanyApplication September 12, 1955, Serial No. 533,825

Claims priority, application Germany September 14, 1954 Claims. (Cl.131-108) The invention relates to a device for mixing and/or looseningtobacco which'is stacked in layers. More particularly the invention isdirected to a tobacco handling apparatus, wherein tobacco stacks are fedto an oscillating rake, which rakes, loosens and mixes the tobacco whichis thereafter carried away.

There are numerous devices known in the art, in which the tobacco layeris torn away on its front side by an endless rake belt provided withpins or similar projections. The disadvantages of such belts, whichengage the tobacco partly from below and going upwardly, and partly fromthe top and then downwardly, is that the pins had tobe drawn through thefull height of the stack, which requires substantial power. Since theraking motion is at right angles to the tobacco layers, the rake shearsand damages the leaves rather than withdraws them and also tends to formlumps of unmixed tobacco.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a rakearrangement, in which the rake members have a component of motion in theplane of the tobacco layers.

One object of this invention is to provide an arrangement for looseningtobacco stacks without damaging the tobacco.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus forloosening tobacco stacks which requires minimum power.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus forloosening tobacco stacks by a raking action against one face of thestack, in which a component of raking motion substantially parallelingthe tobacco layers is provided.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a selfcleaning rakeapparatus for loosening tobacco stacks.

According to the present invention, a single rake arrangement isprovided, which is driven by a crankshaft or similar operating device.Suitable pegs or prongs forming the rake assembly are arranged insubstantially horizontal and vertical directions and are disposed topenetrate the ends of the layers of the tobacco stack with horizontal orsubstantially horizontal and vertical components of motion forwithdrawing the tobacco with similar, substantially horizontal movement.

Some of the tobacco material, impaled on or clinging to the pegs orprongs is removed by a second rake assembly, provided in thearrangement.

The individual pegs or prongs remove only a part of the stacked tobaccomaterial from the front side of the stack and are not carried throughthe whole tobacco stack. The tobacco material is separated in numeroussmall parts by the multitude of pegs or prongs, so that lumps cannot beproduced. On the contrary, uniform loosening and mixing of the tobaccomaterial is obtained. The relatively small power necessary for efiectingpenetration and 2 taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. l is a side elevation view partly in section of a tobacco looseningand mixing apparatus embodying the principles of this invention,

Fig. 2 is an elevation view of the apparatus looking into the rakeassembly, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line III--IH of Figure 1.

In the drawing, the tobacco stack 1, comprising layers of differentbrands of tobacco, is transported by a conventional horizontal conveyorbelt 2, operating at constant speed, between two vertical walls 13 and14 toward the rake assembly. The rake assembly comprises a verticalsupport or a frame 4 connected at its :corners to four crank discs 5a,5b, and 5c and 5d, each having an adjustable crank arm 5e. bly extendlaterally outwardly from the frame and their outer ends are bentdownwardly and in the direction of raking motion. When the frame 4 isdriven by the discs 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d, the pegs perform a movement in acircular path. Preferably the crank radius is adjustable as by rotatablyadjusting the crank arms 5e relatively to the crank discs. The pegs 3are arranged in substantially horizontal and vertical rows in order toprovide better mixing of the different tobacco brands. The crank discsare driven by chain and sprocket drives operating the shaft 13, whichdrives the two pairs of elliptical toothed gears 6a and 6b,respectively, connected to crank discs 5a and 5b. Thus the speed of pegs3 varies as their movement becomes unsymmetrical during each cycle, thearrangement being such, that the pegs penetrate the stack at high speedand are removed from the stack at a lower speed.

The crank discs 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d are connected with each other by ashaft 13 and two vertical chain drives 14. The driving shaft 13 and theshafts of the chain drive are supported by two bearing plates 12a and12b, as shown in Fig. 2. These can be adjusted by suitable means (notshown) in the direction of the conveyor and are connected with the sidewalls (not shown) of the conveyor 2. A stripper rake 7 is suspended to apivot about the shaft 8. The shaft 8 can be adjusted in the slots of theplate 12a and 12b. The free end 7a of the rake 7 is spring loaded by atension spring 9 against an adjusting screw 10. A second horizontalconveyor belt 11, which can be controlled, receives the tobacco removedfrom the front side of the stack, and conveys it to a further operatingpoint.

The described arrangement can be changed in some respects withoutchanging the principle of removing the material in substantiallyhorizontal layers. For instance, the frame 4 can be driven only by twocrank discs 5a and 5c and can be supported at the lower ends inconventional balance bearings, which can be adjusted relative to theirdistance from the conveyor belt 2.

These and other obvious modifications of the present invention both inits details and in the organization of such details will be apparent tothose skilled in the art, accordingly it is intended that the foregoingdisclosure and the showings made in the drawing shall be considered onlyas illustrative of the disclosed inventive prin ciples and not construedin a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for loosening and mixing the layers of a tobacco stack,comprising a rake assembly including a support and a plurality ofsubstantially horizontally projecting pegs secured on said support,driving means connected to said support and adapted to move said supportto enable the free ends of said pegs to move in a closed path, andconveyor means adapted to receive a stack of tobacco and to convey saidstack toward said The pegs 3 of the rake assemrake assembly to permitsaid pegs to rake one vertical end of said stack, and for removing andmixing the loosened tobacco.

2. An apparatus for loosening and mixing the layers of a tobacco stack,comprising a rake assembly having a support and a plurality ofsubstantially horizontally projecting pegs secured in said support,driving means comprising cranks, means connecting said cranks to saidsupport for movement in a path in which the free ends of said pegs aremoved in a circular path, and conveyor means adapted to receive a stackof tobacco to convey said stack toward said rake assembly for permittingsaid pegs to rake one vertical edge of said stack and for removing andmixing the loosened tobacco.

3. An apparatus for loosening and mixing the layers of a tobacco stack,comprising a rake assembly having a vertically extending support and aplurality of substantially horizontally projecting pegs secured in saidsupport, driving means comprising cranks, means connecting said cranksto said support for movement in a circular path, and irregular gearmeans connected to said crank means for driving said rake assembly atvarying speed during each crank revolution, and conveyor means adaptedto receive a stack of tobacco and convey said stack toward said rakeassembly for permitting said pegs of said rake assembly to penetratesaid stack at a higher speed than said pegs subsequently removed tobaccofrom said stack.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which said irregular gearmeans comprises elliptical gears.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which the effective radiusof said crank means is adjustable.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which the free ends of saidpegs have a bend disposed in the direction of raking motion.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which said pegs are arrangedin substantially horizontal and vertical rows on said vertical support.

8. An apparatus for loosening and mixing the layers of a tobacco stack,comprising a rake assembly including a vertical support and a pluralityof pegs projecting laterally from said support and arranged in rowsthereon, driving means engaging said support and moving said support tocause the free ends of said pegs to move in a closed path, having acomponent of motion along the axis of said page, a stripping rake havingportions disposed between said pegs, a pivot means pivotally supportingone end of said stripping rake, and conveyor means having spaced sidewalls for conveying a tobacco stack toward said rake assembly.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, including means adjustablymounting said pivot means for adjustment in a direction substantiallyparalleling the axis of said pegs.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, including a pair of spacedsubstantially vertical supports, means journalling said driving meansbetween said supports, the spacing of said supports correspondingsubstantially to the spacing of said side walls, and means for adjustingsaid supports toward and away from said conveyor.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 911,229Germany May 10, 1954

